Wahle signs with the Seahawks

[bradjock]

As per profootballtalk.com. Reportedly it was a low signing bonus with a good annual salary. No other details were available.

 

Damn that was quick. I read the headline on PFT, "Wahle signs" and my first thought was, "Did the Bears get him?!"

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

As per profootballtalk.com. Reportedly it was a low signing bonus with a good annual salary. No other details were available.

 

Damn that was quick. I read the headline on PFT, "Wahle signs" and my first thought was, "Did the Bears get him?!"

And then you thought to yourself, "Of course not, JA is probably planning on signing another punter before an OL. That, or he's picking his @$$".

 

Well maybe you didn't think that, but that's what I would have thought.

[bradjock]

And then you thought to yourself, "Of course not, JA is probably planning on signing another punter before an OL. That, or he's picking his @$$".

 

Well maybe you didn't think that, but that's what I would have thought.

 

A few years back Moose was cut on like a Tuesday or Wednesday, and the Bears inked him Friday night and the news story broke the next morning. Angelo didn't waste no time on a guy he wanted.

 

He also signed Thomas Jones like 15 minutes into the free agency period.

 

In other words, if he believes in a guy, he'll get it done.

 

I'd much rather have a GM who was careful & patient then one who shops like my wife does.

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

A few years back Moose was cut on like a Tuesday or Wednesday, and the Bears inked him Friday night and the news story broke the next morning. Angelo didn't waste no time on a guy he wanted.

 

He also signed Thomas Jones like 15 minutes into the free agency period.

 

In other words, if he believes in a guy, he'll get it done.

 

I'd much rather have a GM who was careful & patient then one who shops like my wife does.

Apparently, he isn't a patient GM; rather a GM who "shops like your wife does". Signing a guy 15 minutes into the elgible time and picking up a guy 2-3 days after he's cut isn't too patient.

[BearSox]

Whale is so overrated, he would be no better then Ruben.

[nfoligno]

Angelo is a bargain shopper. He often buys cheaper product that is okay short term, but the cheaper quality doesn't ware well, and is trash after a year.

 

When he decides to splurge, he ends up w/ last years style and regrets the purchase shortly after making it.

 

Angelo has a good track record drafting defensive players, but drafting offense and FA in general are FAR more questionable. Seriously, think about the FAs he has added and I think it is a struggle to come up w/ many that were good.

[madlithuanian]

I can't recall the exact timeline...but did Angelo bring in:

 

T Jones

Ogun

Tait

Moose (which not great for us, still not bad considered)

Clark

The DT's last season

Rueben Brown

Fred Miller (before he got old with a quickness...)

 

 

 

 

Angelo is a bargain shopper. He often buys cheaper product that is okay short term, but the cheaper quality doesn't ware well, and is trash after a year.

 

When he decides to splurge, he ends up w/ last years style and regrets the purchase shortly after making it.

 

Angelo has a good track record drafting defensive players, but drafting offense and FA in general are FAR more questionable. Seriously, think about the FAs he has added and I think it is a struggle to come up w/ many that were good.

[nfoligno]

T Jones - Possibly his best FA move, as it produced both a very good starter, combined w/ a very inexpensive contract. He went bargain shopping, but came out w/ a steal.

 

Ogun - Wale was not a FA. We traded for him. Solid move, but let me ask this. Has Wale ever met expectations? After 25 sacks in two seasons w/ Miami, he has 31 sacks after 4 seasons here. At one point, there was even talk of trading or demoting him. I liked the move then, and like it today, but it was believed Wale would be that elite pass rusher that made everyone look good, and I am not sure if he has lived up to that. He is a damn good DE, but when we gave him $15m in bonus money, I think our expectations were higher.

 

Tait - Solid move. I didn't care for it as much then as I felt it was too much money for a RT, but now he is on the left side, and capable of either.

 

Moose (which not great for us, still not bad considered) - Still not bad? Come on. If I, and Angelo basher, can give him credit where it is due, why can you not do the same. When we signed Moose, he was coming off a career year, and we paid big for him. He was brought in to make the QBs better, but instead, it appears he needs a stud QB to look good. He has been a league leader in drops, and has been quite to blame the QBs for his woes. This was an awful signing.

 

Clark - One of Angelo's first signings, but how great of a signing was it. While he has now come on, it took long enough. If Clark was such a good signing, why was TE considered a top need for several years after we signed him, and why did we spend a first round pick on Olsen.

 

The DT's last season - Well, how do you want to call this one. We spend big money on Darwin Walker, including a pick, and he was a bust. Adams was solid though, and one I was actually screaming for. I like Toeina, but lets see him for more than a couple games before we make any conclusions. Angelo found some cheap talent, but also spent bigger bucks on a bust.

 

Rueben Brown

Fred Miller (before he got old with a quickness...)

 

Both Brown and Miller fall into the category of what I was talking about. He spent money to get a pair of players here who gave us good play for a short period of time.

 

Sure, there have been some good FA moves. There have also been some awful ones. That is how it goes w/ any GM. But when I look at the list as a whole, and look at the number of years, I simply would argue that he has not done well in FA.

[madlithuanian]

nfo, thanks for the timeline info!

 

I agree with most your assessment.

 

TJ I think was his FA steal.

 

Ogun - Agreed... He hasn't quite met expectation, but he's ben very solid for us. I have no complaints.

 

Tait - agreed...

 

Moose - I see your point, but Moose did bring a veteran presecne to a really iffy WR corps. I do think it was a bust signing. after further thought.

 

Clark - Regarding Clack, I think it was more of coaches fault than Angelo's. I'm not sure why Lovie and Turner don't feature TE's as much as they should. Heck, last year I was screeaming for Olsen to get more touches,etc... I honestly just don't get our coaching staff.

 

DT's - I forgot about Walker! Bust there for sure... I was thinking of Toe and Adams...

 

OL - I completely see your point on the short term element... But I can't fault Angelo, I think he saw the window, and that line played well the year of and before the SB appearance.

 

I'll give you the quasi-fail grade ofr Angelo on FA! Here's hoping he can do better this off-season!

 

T Jones - Possibly his best FA move, as it produced both a very good starter, combined w/ a very inexpensive contract. He went bargain shopping, but came out w/ a steal.

 

Ogun - Wale was not a FA. We traded for him. Solid move, but let me ask this. Has Wale ever met expectations? After 25 sacks in two seasons w/ Miami, he has 31 sacks after 4 seasons here. At one point, there was even talk of trading or demoting him. I liked the move then, and like it today, but it was believed Wale would be that elite pass rusher that made everyone look good, and I am not sure if he has lived up to that. He is a damn good DE, but when we gave him $15m in bonus money, I think our expectations were higher.

 

Tait - Solid move. I didn't care for it as much then as I felt it was too much money for a RT, but now he is on the left side, and capable of either.

 

Moose (which not great for us, still not bad considered) - Still not bad? Come on. If I, and Angelo basher, can give him credit where it is due, why can you not do the same. When we signed Moose, he was coming off a career year, and we paid big for him. He was brought in to make the QBs better, but instead, it appears he needs a stud QB to look good. He has been a league leader in drops, and has been quite to blame the QBs for his woes. This was an awful signing.

 

Clark - One of Angelo's first signings, but how great of a signing was it. While he has now come on, it took long enough. If Clark was such a good signing, why was TE considered a top need for several years after we signed him, and why did we spend a first round pick on Olsen.

 

The DT's last season - Well, how do you want to call this one. We spend big money on Darwin Walker, including a pick, and he was a bust. Adams was solid though, and one I was actually screaming for. I like Toeina, but lets see him for more than a couple games before we make any conclusions. Angelo found some cheap talent, but also spent bigger bucks on a bust.

 

Rueben Brown

Fred Miller (before he got old with a quickness...)

 

Both Brown and Miller fall into the category of what I was talking about. He spent money to get a pair of players here who gave us good play for a short period of time.

 

Sure, there have been some good FA moves. There have also been some awful ones. That is how it goes w/ any GM. But when I look at the list as a whole, and look at the number of years, I simply would argue that he has not done well in FA.

[Connorbear]

You forget one of Angelos best FA signing - Robbie Gould who is now the Bears all time leaader in FG % and is 6 for 6 in the playoffs with an OT game winner. OF course, Robbie was brought in to replace Doug Brien who was a piece of crap.

 

Peace

[nfoligno]

There have been a couple other good, or acceptable ones. Garza was good, for the money. Ayenbedejo was in the pro bowl for the same job we signed him. But overall, I simpy feel like we have not done a good job.

 

QB

 

Talk about ugly. Kordell Stewart. Chandler. Quinn. Hutchinson. Jeff Blake. We signed Griese, which I was thrilled w/, but he has not been as good as I had hoped.

 

RB

 

As I said, TJ may be his best signing. I can't really think of any other FAs.

 

WR

 

Have we really gone to FA for WR other than Moose. I consider Moose a total flop of a signing. I do not even credit him for leadership, as he has too often thrown the QB under the bus, which is not a sign of leadership to me (unless it is Cade McNown under the bus).

 

TE

 

Maybe it was due to our OCs (all three of them), but I would still point out this was considered a need w/ management. If Angelo felt it was solely the OC not utilizing the position, would he have considered it a high enough need to use a 1st round pick?

 

OL

 

Garza and Brown were solid signings. Miller, IMHO, was solid one year but didn't last as long as expected and was flat out awful last year. Tait was a solid addition as well. OL is Angelo best FA position, while also among his worst in the draft. That is a scary thought entering this draft.

 

DE

 

Wale, while a trade, was a move for a veteran. While he has been solid, I still argue he has not met expectations. It was believed he was one of those special talents that makes others on the DL double digit sack artists. What it now appears is he is the sort that can be very good when surrouded by talent (which he was in Miami) but is not the spark we believed.

 

DT

 

Adams played well this past year, and above expectations (other than mine). I do not count Toeina as much as some. I loved what I saw for a game or two, but a couple plays does not make or break a player. Walker was a total bust. While it was a re-signing, I still think re-signing Robinson, who was a DE but projected as a DT in the new scheme, to a deal for over $20m was an awful move.

 

LB

 

Few think about Hunter, but he was picked up in FA (maybe waivers) after not making it w/ GB. Great move that might actually compete w/ TJ when factoring value and expectations. Ayenbedejo is a LB, but has made his name on special teams.

 

CB

 

McQ was a bad re-signing. Wesley and RMJ were also bad FA moves.

 

S

 

Arch. Need I say more?

 

Most of his "hits" seem to be on the OL, which is ironic as it is also our area of greatest need (next to QB). For most of the rest of the team though, I see a combination of (a) bust pickups and ( missed opportunities, as there are too many positions w/o good moves.

[Mongo3451]

I'm not replying to any post in general, but think JA has done pretty well with FA signings and the Wale trade. He does a great job of not making too many moves. Overall, the players he gets usually contribute and are good fits. I'd say his greatest failure was signing Griese, when he could have had Brees. Biggest flop was trading for Arch and frontloading his contract. Greatest signings Tait, TJ, Wale and Rueben Brown.

[madlithuanian]

Regarding Brees and Griese, I don't think he erred. Brees wanted to start and the powers that be for the Bears weren't going let anyone but Grossman start. I think the decision to rely on Rex was wrong, but given that, it wasn't a bad move.

 

I'm not replying to any post in general, but think JA has done pretty well with FA signings and the Wale trade. He does a great job of not making too many moves. Overall, the players he gets usually contribute and are good fits. I'd say his greatest failure was signing Griese, when he could have had Brees. Biggest flop was trading for Arch and frontloading his contract. Greatest signings Tait, TJ, Wale and Rueben Brown.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Apparently, he isn't a patient GM; rather a GM who "shops like your wife does". Signing a guy 15 minutes into the elgible time and picking up a guy 2-3 days after he's cut isn't too patient.

IF he was patient he wouldn't have gotten Moose. Moose was the most saught after guy that year. IIRC, Desmon Mason was also cut around that same period and the Bears opted to go with Moose (Plax was a FA that year too). I can't say for sure about Jones but Moose would have been signed immediately for lots of money by someone else had it not been the Bears. I anticipate if the Bears are interested in Faneca, that we will know right away. If they aren't, maybe JA jumps out on the guy he wants early (while other teams are busy waiting on Faneca to commit). We shall see, but I expect an olineman via the draft and FA, plus a WR (Berrian or a FA/draft pick), a RB to compete with Benson, a QB via the draft (not 1st round), and a safety.

[Mongo3451]

Regarding Brees and Griese, I don't think he erred. Brees wanted to start and the powers that be for the Bears weren't going let anyone but Grossman start. I think the decision to rely on Rex was wrong, but given that, it wasn't a bad move.

I see what you are saying, because I was extatic when we signed Griese. But, that was after strongly lobbying for Brees with some other members of the old board. And the powers that be, begins with JA.